Rep. Ed Case

Filipino Fiesta ‘26! As we kick off Flores de Mayo, I joined the festivities at Fil-Com Center in Waipahu to celebrate the rich heritage of the Philippines and the contributions and achievements of our now-4.6 million Filipino Americans across our country. Mabuhay!

Got home from DC in time to join Kamehameha Schools’ 106th Annual Song Contest. So beautiful and inspiring.

It frustratingly took a record 76-day partial government shutdown for Congress and the President to adopt a compromise solution on Department of Homeland Security funding that my Appropriations colleagues and I urged back on February 11th. Nonetheless, DHS except for ICE and CBP are open and fully funded again (including our TSA and other federal employees and FEMA disaster assistance for Kona Lows flooding), and we can get on with critical and reasonable immigration enforcement reform. More: case.house.gov/news/documents…

In my Appropriations Committee consideration of our FY27 agriculture funding measure, I had to provide some colleagues with a Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 101 and why the Hawaiian Home Lands must continue to receive rural water and waste disposal program assistance. The overall measure was a mixed result; while many of my Hawai’i requests were included, I couldn’t accept the slashing of SNAP, WIC and other nutrition assistance nationwide: case.house.gov/news/documents…

Another mixed result in my Appropriations Committee for our third of twelve bills funding our federal government for the upcoming fiscal year, this one focused on our State Department and international relations. Although many of my requests were approved, including funding for the East-West Center and for our key partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific such as the Philippines and the Pacific Islands, I had to vote against the overall bill as it continues the administration’s destructive withdrawal from global leadership across a whole range of efforts from health to development assistance, international organizations and more. case.house.gov/news/documents…

Another Hawai’i proud: Major General Kelly McKeague (US Air Force-Ret.), a Papakolea product and Damien High grad, serves as Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, one of the most dedicated and unique of all of our efforts in its focus on locating, identifying and repatriating our war missing from around the world. DPAA not only does what’s right for our lost and their ‘ohana but reflects and projects the best of our values.  DPAA’s world-class facilities in my district cover its activities throughout the Indo-Pacific and beyond. I fully support DPAA wherever I can including in my Appropriations Committee and stay coordinated with Director McKeague on our joint efforts. dpaa.mil

The 25th Amendment to our Constitution, adopted in 1967, focuses on succession when the President dies or may be under some disability. But it has never been fully implemented to create the independent body it calls for to act as a failsafe on whether a President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office in the event of incapacity or infirmity. I cosponsored H.R. 8275, introduced by my colleague @RepRaskin of Maryland, to create a bipartisan commission of experts to make this determination if and when needed. More: congress.gov/bill/119th-con…

“Over 21% of our Hawai’i residents are age 65+, up from 18% just four years ago and growing rapidly. Helping our kupuna is one of my highest priorities in Congress. Here is a quick update on my efforts and a request for your continued guidance.” case.house.gov/UploadedFiles/…

My House Appropriations Committee is in full swing and approved our first of twelve measures covering federal government funding for upcoming Fiscal Year 27 (beginning October 1st of this year), this one covering our veterans and military facilities worldwide. Many of my requests for Hawai’i vets and military construction, as well as toward a new national cemetery to address Punchbowl overcapacity, are advancing (see my release case.house.gov/news/documents…), but I highlighted the urgent need to repair and improve our failing military infrastructure youtu.be/fOF3sNJWrV8?si….

In “normal” times the Jones Act drives up Hawaii costs by some $1,800 for every family every year, but in times of international disruption like now from the Iran War it outright risks the foundations of our economy and our basics like energy and gas. I asked the President to extend the current waiver of the Jones Act to keep our shipping lifeline open for our critical energy, fuel and other needs. My release here: case.house.gov/news/documentq…

Appreciating and advancing our National Guard and Reserves across our country, including over 9,000 throughout our Hawai’i. I welcomed Hawai’i Army National Guard Gen./Commander Tyson Tahara and his team to DC to focus on local priorities. And in Appropriations-Defense with our national Guard and Reserves leaders I both recognized their service especially on four Hawai’i crises in just the last six years and on the funding needed to advance their contributions. See here: youtu.be/ROoBQPx8DNY?si…

“With the passing of Governor George Ariyoshi, our Hawai’i has lost one of our best. … He may have served quietly and effectively, but he also inspired quietly and effectively.” As just one of countless many who were personally inspired by his governance and life, I add my deep mahalo to his family for his service. case.house.gov/news/documents…

My annual Federal Funding Workshop at the State Capitol; with Rep. Tokuda at UH-West O’ahu; and the Chinatown Festival and Parade. Here’s my next monthly Congressman Ed Case Reports on my activities on ‘Olelo Community Media. youtu.be/HvSS-P_OlR0

Teamwork over time pays off. In ’21 I cointroduced the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act with Florida and other colleagues to advance our collective efforts to conserve and sustain our endangered coral reefs; Sens. Schatz and Hirono did the same in the Senate. I also got Dr. Robert Richmond, Director of UH’s Kewalo Marine Lab, to testify before my House Natural Resources Committee in support of Hawaii’s special role and expertise (youtube.com/watch?v=vGzLRf…). In ’23 we got it included in another bill which was signed into law and established two cooperative institutes to coordinate our efforts nationwide: the Atlantic Coral Reef Institute and the Pacific Coral Reef Institute. Now UH has been officially designated as the Pacific Institute, cementing our leadership in international coral reef conservation (and bringing solid funding and jobs to Hawai’i). manoa.hawaii.edu/news/article.p…

For federal Kona Low storm damage disaster assistance, a major disaster declaration is just the first step; the actual money still has to be appropriated by Congress. In my House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which funds the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through which disaster assistance flows, I closely questioned FEMA Acting Administrator Evans on replenishing FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, which is running dangerously low, by over $50 billion this year and next to fully assist Hawai’i and other disaster affected areas including our ‘ohana Guam and the Northern Marianas. youtu.be/DV-BOgs8pBA

My statement to Secretary of the Army Driscoll in my House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on the firing of General Randy George, our highest ranking Army  officer: “When you collectively – the President, Secretary of Defense and yourself – decide to summarily fire the Chief of Staff of the Army, publicly, overtly, and I would say humiliatingly, cruelly, without any offer apparently of a graceful exit, you at least owe Congress, the public, and most important the soldiers, an explanation, which you did not do.” youtu.be/6SFMwchOyJU

In my Appropriations Committee I secured $307 million for 54 great community projects throughout my district in the last five years. Just a few examples: Blood Bank Hawai’i/new headquarters $2 million; Highlands Intermediate School/media center $300,000; Institute for Human Services/Village of Redemption/$500,000; City and County/Waikiki Vista/shelter $1 million; Catholic Charities Hawai’i/Hale Aloha $1.9 million; Papakolea/sewer improvements $1.092 million; Honolulu Fire Department/HQ improvements $2 million; Lunalilo Home/roof $1.74 million. Here’s a video summary: youtu.be/M6nV7BmLDhw?si… and the full list: case.house.gov/UploadedFiles/…

I crunched back into the mess that is DC today with continuing top priorities inflation/cost of living, Iran war, funding Homeland Security and intense Fiscal Year ’27 Appropriations Committee hearings, plus hosting a variety of visitors to my office, including yesterday: U.S. Army Reserve, Hawai’i Shipyards/Marisco, Hawaii Water Works Assn, Pacific Shellfish Growers, ‘Olelo Community Media, and Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA).

I welcomed thirty great mid-career Department of State Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) Foreign Service Officers from our embassies and consulates across the Indo-Pacific to Honolulu as the Capstone of EAP’s annual Future Leaders Program. We had a full talk story on leadership, appropriations, current issues and best practices for engaging with Congress. I am proud of and grateful for these true public servants who are the critical first line for our relations with other countries and the lifeline for our own residents, travellers and businesses overseas.

Growing up Big island the Pacific & Asian Affairs Council opened me to a broader world. I joined 42 really impressive public high school Statewide Student Ambassadors reporting back  from study visits to the Philippines, Korea and Japan at the East-West Center under a great partnership between EWC, PAAC and the Hawai’i Dept of Education. Exciting to share their excitement and learn what they learned.